Amateurs poised for title tussle with pros

FOR the second year running, the scene is set for an exciting last-day tussle between the Tartan Tour's leading professionals and Scotland's top amateurs in the £25,000 Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open, with players in both camps hoping a band of rain forecast overnight would pass through in time to allow a more satisfactory conclusion in today's closing 36 holes.As was the case at the same venue 11 months ago, when the last two rounds were completely washed out, the invited amateurs are making their presence felt at the halfway stage. Seven are within three shots of the lead, including Glenbervie's Graeme Ro bertson, who is locked at the top of the leaderboard with Gareth Wright, a professional attached to West Linton, on seven-under-par 133.

Dunbar's Danny Kay, beaten finalist in this year's Scottish Amateur Championship, and Scott Crichton from Aberdour are backing Robertson up on 134 - the same mark as professionals Neil Fenwick, Stephen Gray, Chris Kelly and David Patrick - with Walker Cup selection James Byrne also in contention on five-under alongside Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol.

Add David Law, the two-time Scottish champion from Hazlehead, and Peterhead's Philip McLean, both on 136, into the mix, and the amateurs will be fancying their chances of providing the winner.

Thirteen of the 15 amateurs who started the tournament made the cut and Wright, for one, is not surprised to see so many of them in contention, and not just because he played with Robertson, a Stirling University golf bursar, in the opening two rounds. "You really can't call them amateurs these days," said the 29-year-old, who played for Wales in the Eisenhower Trophy in 2004 alongside Rhys Davies and Nigel Edwards, the Great Britain & Ireland captain at next weekend's Walker Cup.

"They are probably better prepared than most of the pros, playing and practising more. The support they get as an amateur now is great. They are playing some of the best championship courses week in, week out, so it does not surprise me one bit to see them doing so well here."

Wright, who tied for 38th in last week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, could be the man to thwart the amateurs if he can maintain the form that earned him opening rounds of 65 and 68. "There were some tricky pin positions today," he said. "I short-sided myself a couple of times after getting a bit lazy. But it was another good day's work."

Though Robertson was often 30 yards behind his playing partner off the tee, he put the shot-shaping practice he's put in with Dean Robertson, the Stirling head coach, to good effect as he signed for a 67.

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